Drake Bell Claims He Saw Brian Peck Out With Underage Kids After Prison Release
Drake Bell recalled running into Brian Peck after the dialogue coach served 16 months in prison for sexually abusing him.
During the Monday, March 25, episode of the La entrevista con Yordi Rosado show, Bell, 37, expressed his surprise at the success Peck, 63, continued to find after serving time.
"He was hanging out on set, working, going to parties and being around Hollywood like nothing happened," Bell said. "I remember one time I saw him at a restaurant. He was at a table with 10 or 12 actors. They were all male actors between the ages of 14 and 16."
He continued: "I walked in and saw him and saw that he was just right back to what he was doing. I then turned around and left."
Drake Bell Alleges He Was Sexually Abused as a Child by Nickelodeon Dialogue Coach Brian Peck
Peck (who has no relation to Bell's former costar Josh Peck) was originally arrested in August 2003 for sexually abusing a then-unnamed child, which Bell recently confirmed was him. Peck pleaded no contest to performing a lewd act with a victim around 14 or 15 years old and to oral copulation with a child under 16 years old, which resulted in a 16-month prison sentence.
Bell questioned Peck's sentence during Monday's interview, adding, "He was sentenced to 16 months in prison. Just 16 months and I think only of which he served only four months. When he got out, he was a registered sex offender for crimes against a child and he went right back to work."
The actor recently broke his silence about being sexually assaulted by Peck in Investigation Discovery's Nickelodeon docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV. Bell specifically recalled seeing Peck receive a lot of support from famous friends during his sentencing.
"I looked at all of them [during my statement] and I just said, 'How dare you. You will forever have the memory of sitting in this courtroom and defending this person. And I will forever have the memory of the person you are defending violating me and doing unspeakable acts and crimes. And that is what I will remember,'" he shared in the third episode of the doc, which aired earlier this month.
James Marsden and Others Wrote Letters of Support for Brian Peck in Drake Bell Sexual Abuse Case
In addition to sharing Bell’s side of the story, the directors behind Quiet on Set, Mary Robertson and Emma Schwartz, were able to unseal the letters of support Peck received at the time from various celebrities in the entertainment industry. Peck went on to work with some of the people who showed him support — including a voiceover gig on Disney Channel’s The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.
Director duo Rich and Beth Correll were mentioned in the doc as being the connection between the project and Peck. In their individual letters, Rich said it would be his "pleasure to work" with Peck again.
The Corrells released a statement for the docuseries, which noted that "they had no input or involvement in the casting" of Peck on the Disney show. They said when they asked him about the case, "Mr. Peck simply replied that 'The problem had been resolved.'"
After Quiet on Set was released, Rich and Beth issued a formal apology to Bell.
Every Nickelodeon Alum Who Weighed In on Quiet on Set’s Revelations About the Toxic Work Environment
“We extend our deepest apologies to Drake Bell and his family, and we deeply regret our decision many years ago to request leniency for someone who we later learned had committed a horrible crime and caused so much pain and trauma to Drake and others. If we had known the truth at the time the letters were written, we never would have written them,” the Corrells said in a statement to Variety on Monday, March 25. “There are no words to express how awful we feel for being on the wrong side of a horrific situation and the trauma it caused you, Drake. We are devastated that we unwittingly supported the unsupportable.”
Their statement continued: “Our biggest priority having worked on many sets throughout the years was the safety of children. We would never knowingly put any child in danger. We are saddened and appalled to hear all the in-depth details following the release of ‘Quiet on the Set.’ Children must be protected and should always be in a safe environment ... both at work and at home. Drake, you are in our hearts, we are proud of your bravery, and we hope that now you are able to heal. Again, we are so sorry.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
